







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| It's £135 per week! | |
| I don't believe you! What's the difference today? | |
| Well, not really! I don't like cooking much. | |
| My beard makes me look older, I think. | |
| I've only got Saturday left before I have to move on Sunday. | |
| Erm, we don't have any, but there is someone else's bread. | |
| I don't need to wake up very early. | |
| Yeah, it is very important for me, actually. | |
| Cate, are you okay? You seem a little bit aggressive. | |
| Then I want to roast it, though. | |
| Hello, my name is Mike, I'm Cate's boyfriend... | |
| You were explaining why you are here at 07:30 in the morning. | |
| Oh, okay, is there a problem with your house? | |
| Sorry, is it possible to see it this Saturday after 2 o'clock? | |
| Hang on a minute, they are both 300 gr and the same brand. | |
| Thanks Rocco, that's all for now. | |
| I can't call him at the moment because his phone is unreachable. | |
| Pogo is my little cat, is there a problem with that? | |
| Is it big money? | |
| Sorry, the line is very bad! | |